From: TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
A Port Harcourt-based clergyman, Simeon Afolabi, has warned that allocating grazing reserve to Fulani herdsmen round the country would only create further clashes between Fulani herdsmen and host communities of the states.
Afolabi, who is Founding Pastor, First Love Assembly, spoke on Thursday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said that steps should be taken to prevent frequent clashes with Fulani herdsmen and various states across the country.
His words, “Fulani herdsmen will create time bomb in the country, if you give them grazing reserve. It will create problem of settlers. You cannot rob one people to pay the other. There are models everywhere in the world, you don’t see herds of cows on the streets of London as you see in Nigeria.
“Let government apply what we see abroad. What I am saying is it is wrong to take a people’s land in order to pacify another. I think a committee should be set to study how it done in other countries and apply it in ours”.
Speaking further, Afolabi enjoined the Federal Government to revisit the recommendations of the National Conference in 2015, pointing out that they had capacity to resolve challenges of militancy and agitations in several parts of the country.
“Agitation is everywhere in the country and it is an indication that something is wrong with our system. None of the issues should be treated in isolation. The Federal Government should go back to the outcome of the National Conference in 2015, to begin to solve the nation’s problems.
The cleric, who was 55 recently, advised youths in the country to shun crime and cultism, stating that hard work produces success.
He said the young ones should learn from the game of football, where losing teams do not give up, saying that in some situations, these teams turned out to win the tournament at the end of the game.
“I watch football because of the lessons I get from there .If you are succeeding don’t get too excited, get to work, because failure could strike. And if you are failing in life, don’t lose hope the game is still on. It can still turn in your favour. From the field of play, you can’t afford to mess up because your coach can replace you. I learnt team work from football. So, the same advise I give to the young ones”, he advised.